Q&A with Lorraine Godsmark from Lorraine's Patisserie

Annie Stevens
Published: February 8, 2013 - 7:40PM

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When Lorraine Godsmark closed her beloved Potts Point Yellow she left Sydney's sweet tooths bereft. So it was with unbridled delight that the greedy among us heard that Godsmark was opening a new patisserie in the ivy complex, Lorraine's Patisserie. We had a little chat to Sydney's reigning queen of dessert about her new digs, her tips for bakers and why marshmallows are the next big thing.

You broke some sweet-toothed hearts when you closed Yellow. How does it feel to be back in your patisserie?

Fantastic! Justin has given me a brilliant space to work in with lots of fabulous equipment. I think we are therefore baking better than ever. The bonus is it's an open kitchen, so I'm connecting with all the loyal customers who have followed me for the past 13 years.

What are you enjoying most about your new digs at the ivy?

I'm really enjoying the Merivale family... and that includes all the employees. The culture at ivy is very friendly and enthusiastic, it's great energy to be around. I also love that I can chat with my customers. They have made me feel very welcome on my return to the food scene.

What is your favourite thing on the menu at Lorraine’s Patisserie?

I love the Kalamansi Chocolate Mousse Cake. The flavour is delicious. A combination of lime & mandarin which marries with chocolate very well. I still love the Rhubarb Pie. I try not to eat the whole thing, but I always fail.

What is your favourite treat of all time?

Probably my favourite treat of all time was my first trip to Maison du Chocolat in Paris. I purchased a box of fresh chocolates, only 2 weeks shelf life & cost $60.00. I then walked to a nearby park & devoured them. I discovered what finesse was all about. Beautiful!

What ingredient can you not live without?

It's a toss up between Vanilla and Chocolate. Probably chocolate as it sneaks into a lot of patisserie work & if you can afford good quality it will really elevate a dish.

We’ve seen the rise of the cupcake, the macaron and so on. What’s the next ‘hot’ sweet treat?

I think the next big sweet treat is Marshmallow. Its very big in Spain and lots of chefs are being creative in New York. Great flavour combinations and colours and a lightness that didn't exist before. We have three flavours at Ivy which our customers are loving! I have more in the pipeline. I hope to do an apple cider and walnut and candied lemon one for winter.

What is your number one tip for home bakers?

My number one tip to the home baker is thoroughly read the recipe and be true to it the first time you make it. If you get a reasonable result then play with it and add your own creative input.

Can you tell me about your involvement with the March into Merivale event? What do you enjoy about this kind of foodie event?

Well the launch the other night was very exciting. It was like being at a carnival, full of live music, fabulous food and wine and entertainment. Everybody seemed to be having a great time ... We have some dessert tasting nights coming up in the bakery for March into Merivale which will be a lot of fun. They will be very intimate, only 15-20 guests. Jane Strode and I are also doing a Dessert Degustation at CBD as the last event on the calendar. It's almost booked out already! I'm impressed so many people want to eat six courses of desserts ... my type of people!

For more information on the March into Merivale event (basically you get to eat yourself sick on delicious food from restaurants in the Merivale family) go to merivale.com.au.

This story was found at: http://www.dailylife.com.au/dl-food/food-features/qa-with-lorraine-godsmark-from-lorraines-patisserie-20130207-2e0bm.html